Doctor Who's first story won't be on BBC iPlayer

Doctor Who fans (myself included) were delighted at the recent announcement of classic serials being made available on BBC iPlayer on 1st November. This is the first time all eras of the beloved BBC sci-fi series are curated under one roof.

However, the Doctor's first adventure, An Unearthly Child, won't be on iPlayer. The serial is currently on BritBox and ITVX.

A spokesperson for the BBC said: "This massive iPlayer back catalogue will be home to over 800 hours of Doctor Who content, making it the biggest ever collection of Doctor Who programming in one place but will not include the first four episodes as we do not have all the rights to those."

With the 60th anniversary in November, there's going to be lots to look forward to.

Russell T Davies, Doctor Who's returning showrunner, said: "I'd like to thank the BBC for all the hard work to get this massive back catalogue under one roof, at long last.

This includes spin-offs Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Class and the behind-the-scenes series Doctor Who Confidential.

"I'm so excited for new viewers – imagine being eight years old, spending winter afternoons exploring the '60s, '70s, '80s and beyond. And we're determined this won't be a dusty museum – we have exciting plans to bring the back catalogue to life, with much more to be revealed!"

Doctor Who returns for three 60th anniversary specials, starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), this November on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland.

Are you disappointed An Unearthly Child won't be on BBC iPlayer? Let me know in the comments below.